Kevin Cramer

If building international and interstate pipelines was easy, we would have a lot more of them right now.

I want to place into the record without objection a letter from the North Dakota Industrial Commission.

The recent derailment of an agricultural products train that led to derailment of a train full of Bakken crude oil that led to explosions near the city of Casselton, North Dakota, was a stark reminder of our new reality.

I think Mr. Tipton was on earlier relating to OSM Director's counsel, Dianne Shawley, and some of what I consider to be pretty disturbing statements.

Does this seem cavalier to you, for somebody in a position like that, to be overseeing a billion-dollar rulemaking that is going to impact, you know, thousands of American jobs?

My time has expired. Thank you.

Is there a line--and you certainly can understand why industry and states might be concerned that we are down this path, with the mere possibility as a standard, and the uncertainty that that creates in the investment community as we try…

The possible versus probable, as what is the standard, then, of probability before you continue with more years and more resources, given the fact that hydraulic fracturing is not exactly a new technology?

I also understand that, in a place like North Dakota, where there are 17,000 jobs at stake, $3-1/2 billion toward our economy is at stake.

It costs a lot of money when you are talking about a billion dollars per plant in excessive coal use.

Let me assure you, it does because it is a further reflection of an attitude that has been pervasive by this Administration that tells anybody interested in fossil fuel development, we are going to punish you as much as we can.

I would like to submit my letter of invitation to you of October 18 into the record, if I could, Mr. Chairman?

I don't know that it is so dishonest; well, personally, I think it is very honest to refer to it as a war on coal.

I can tell you that in North Dakota, where I was once a coal regulator, the Democrat and Republican members of our delegation are united as well, and all refer to it as a war on coal.

The Democrats who run this town seem to be in denial about the unworkability of this health care law. The President has said it's worked exactly the way it's supposed to, and Harry Reid has even said it's wonderful. If it's so wonderful…

I totally agree with you. You may or may not be aware that this administration finalized a rule ignoring that.

The issue of consent decrees becoming law by virtue of liberal organizations suing a liberal administration and coming to a settlement in a liberal judge's chambers is very concerning to me.

Mr. Chairman, I know that the record will open for 10 more days.

In North Dakota, we do not have a lot of sage grouse. We have some, and they continue to increase about 15 percent per year.

The spotted owl has caused a decline in timber harvests on Federal lands in Oregon, Washington, and California by a factor of 90 percent.

The sage grouse is endangered in 11 States covering 260,000 square miles.

Should litigants have to have a direct personal interest in the outcome of a lawsuit before they can engage in it?

You would be hard pressed to find anybody in Washington that loves the West more than the people who have chosen to make it their home.

I think in many respects we debate the rule or the proposed rule or the perhaps not proposed rule as though the intention is really to have a certain rule.

The development of oil and gas is important for our energy security and high standard of living, not just in North Dakota, but the entire Nation.